Egg laying

[tyrancooper]

Is it normal for a discus to lay eggs when it is not necessarily paired up with another discus?

I've had 6 discus in a planted tank for a few years and have never witnessed any of them lay eggs, display breeding behavior etc. Now, over the past week or so, I've notice one of the younger ones laying eggs on the front pane of the tank, for no apparent reason. As quickly as she lays them, another older discus (gender unknown) eats them. I don't believe that the two are a pair, because they have not staked out this area as a territory, and the other discus are free to cluster around the area as they choose.

I always assumed that because my tank is planted, and I have no special temperature or water conditions suitable for breeding, that my discus would never lay eggs/breed.

[Carol_Roberts]

She apparently thinks one of the other discus is a male and that the conditions in the tank are fine to lay eggs. Inexperienced males frequently follow behind and eat the eggs. Look at the vent area on the discus when she lays eggs and see if another discus has a tube extended too.

[tyrancooper]

It's kind of hard to tell right now about the "egg-eating" fish. I've been trying to look to see if there is a tube, but I'm not sure what I see. When I tried to look under the fish, the female that has been laying eggs seems to rapidly twitch her head at me as if to say "Hey, stop that!"

If what I see on the "egg-eating" fish is the same as the one as the one on the "egg-laying" female, what should I do? Should I move the offending fish and see if the egg-laying female will pair up with another male? Is it worth trying, since my tank is planted?

Tyra

[AADiscus]

Any eggs in a planted community tank are going to get eaten. JMO If you really want to try breeding then move your female into a breeder tank with one that you think is a male. But then you are going into a different ball game with breeding. ;) Worth a try though!!!! :D